Eric Winston is the right tackle for your Houston Texans, which normally means you don't hear a lot about him. But the dude is funny, insightful and outspoken, so he has become a hit on sports-talk stations in town and on the Net. He tweets ("Do you think Best Buy puts something in the a/c vents that makes you buy something when you go there whether you need it or not?"), he blogs (a lucid analysis of whether the NFL should have a pay scale for rookies) and, best of all, he's dependable on the field. Even in the under-the-radar world of offensive linemen, right tackles are at the bottom of the pole (left tackle is the glamour spot), so you won't see his name in too many stories or highlight films. But if he's talking or writing, it's worth checking out.

Any respectable hockey team needs an enforcer — especially in the minor leagues, where fisticuffs are much of the draw. Luckily for the Aeros (and speedy scorers such as Corey Locke and Krys Kolanos), they've got one of the best in six-foot-six ice-boxer Matt Kassian. Like many a good enforcer, Kassian isn't much of a skater, but his fists have gained him YouTube notoriety while clearing the way for Locke and Kolanos to attack the nets without worrying too much for their safety. Kassian racked up an impressive fight card of 20 this season, according to www.hockeyfights.com, no small feat considering he appeared in just 56 games. (Props are also due to mean-as-hell defenseman Mitch Love, who, while lacking Kassian's intimidating physique, managed to lead the AHL with 34 brawls.) Further cementing his reputation as a goon among goons, Kassian took home the "Sickest Beard Award" in the Aeros' post-season facial hair contest.

A reporter once questioned the "athleticism" of Philadelphia Phillie John Kruk. "I ain't an athlete, lady," Kruk growled. "I'm a baseball player." Many of the Astros fit that bill — you need look no farther than left field, where Carlos Lee stamps his pasture nightly, to see a classic example. Hunter Pence is one of the rare exceptions. Despite last season's sophomore slump, it's hard not to be excited about what the future holds for the Astros' young (at least by this aging club's standards) right fielder. The rangy native Texan has all the tools – power, speed, a sniper-rifle arm – and is still learning to harness them. And this year he is really coming into his own, with a career-year pace for home runs, RBIs, steals and runs scored.

The sights, the sounds, the smells — who doesn't enjoy a good bowl every now and then? Well, from 8 a.m. until midnight, Sundays through Thursdays, and 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, you can get your bowl on at The Palace. Reasonable prices, automatic scoring and kid-friendly bumper-bowling make this alley a winner. Plus, we love the snack bar — great burgers, sandwiches, salads and pizza, not to mention beverages of the alcoholic (and nonalcoholic) variety. And, of course, Palace has good weekly specials and birthday specials. So what are you waiting for? Get on your bowling shoes and get going.

There's a certain kind of shock that comes when you luck into a friend's great Astros ticket and you look at the price. Fifty bucks? For a single night at the ballpark? But the truth is, you can have yourself a great night at Minute Maid Park and not put much of a dent in your pocket at all. (We do advise filling up before the game, though; some tickets are cheap, but hot dogs and drinks are another story.) There's always a slew of great offers on the team's Web site: Maybe it's buy an adult ticket for seven bucks, and two kids under 14 can get in free with you. Or maybe it's a ticket, hot dog, soda and chips all for $10. The point is, bargains are there to be had. "Sure," you scoff — you old scoffer, you — "But the seats are probably in the last row near the roof and in fair territory." To a degree, true, but not completely. And the fact remains that Minute Maid is about as easy as it gets when it comes to the time-honored tradition of "improving" your seat. There's the Home Run Alley standing room, of course; there's also typically a wide selection of field-level seats sitting empty. Wait a couple of innings and then look like you belong.

Rockets coach Rick Adelman had a great year, leading Houston to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time in 12 years. Still, you can't ignore Katy High School football coach Gary Joseph. In 2007, Joseph led the Tigers to a perfect season, capped with a state championship. Then he lost almost every starting player to graduation. When this year's team lost its initial two games for the first time since 1984, losing in the second week 47-0 against The Woodlands, it looked like the Katy dominance was done. But Joseph retooled the team, and after demolishing a team from Florida in a nationally televised game, Katy lost only once again. In December of last year, the team won the state championship, the first back-to-back titles in the school's storied football history.